A not so grand day

Grand Aire, a Toledo, Ohio-based air-taxi company, continues to reside under a black cloud as it experienced its fifth and sixth accidents since the beginning of 2000, including one previous fatal accident. The two most recent accidents, both involving Dassault Falcon 20s on April 8, killed three pilots in one crash and seriously injured two in a second accident. As a result, Grand Aire voluntarily suspended its flight operations the next day. (It has since returned to flight status.) The company operates 26 aircraft, about half of which are Falcon 20s, on cargo flights. It also operates passenger charters.

At about 2 p.m., Falcon 20 N183GA was destroyed and all three occupants were killed when it crashed two miles west of Toledo, Ohio, on an ILS approach to Runway 7 at Toledo Express Airport. About five hours later, Grand Aire Falcon 20 N179GA crashed on approach to St. Louis Lambert International Airport. The aircraft ditched in the Mississippi River just north of the downtown area during a second landing attempt.